Will the NY Times Give David Pogue Another Pass on Ethics?

David Pogue has weathered one mini-scandal after another in his years as the star technology columnist for The New York Times. Lately, however, the infractions have been piling up, and the very most recent may be too clear-cut for the paper to gloss over.

Ragan Communications, which publishes a newsletter for public relations professionals called PR Daily, is marketing a live video seminar called "Pitch Me, Baby!" For a fee of $159, participants can watch Pogue talk about the best and worst pitches he's received and share his tips on how to get favorable responses from writers like him.

But even if he hadn't been paid, it appears Pogue ran foul of the policy, specifically the rules on "Steering Clear of Advice Roles," which state:

It is an inherent conflict for a journalist to perform public relations work, paid or unpaid. Staff members may not counsel individuals or organizations on how to deal successfully with the news media....

They should not take part in public relations workshops that charge admission or imply privileged access to the press, or participate in surveys asking their opinion of an organization's media relations or public image.

I emailed the Times's PR department to ask about this apparent transgression. Here's the response I got:

David's editors are discussing this outside engagement with him.

As a freelancer with a number of activities beyond The Times, David has some leeway in work he does on his own time, but he is expected to consult with his editors to ensure that none of that work poses a conflict with his assignments for The Times.

The paper has responded to Pogue's previous misdemeanors with something less than the zero-tolerance rigidity it has shown other writers who've made similar missteps. For instance, after Pogue gave a paid speech at a Consumer Electronics Association trade show, the Times "reminded [him] of the policy provisions barring acceptance of speaking fees or travel expenses from all but educational or other non-profit organizations that do not have lobbying or political activity as a major focus." But the paper also took care to note that Pogue was not on assignment for the Times when he gave the speech. It's worth noting that the prohibition against giving public relations advice applies to "journalists" -- a designation that applies to freelancers like Pogue as well as full-time staffers.

If you're wondering what advice Pogue has for PR professionals with $159 to spare, the video below offers a clue. It was a winner of the Pogue Perfect Pitch Award. Apparently, a perfect pitch is one that spares no expense to stroke the ego of David Pogue. Good to know.

I've been covering the business of news, information and entertainment in one form or another for more than 10 years. In February 2014, I moved to San Francisco to cover the tech beat. My primary focus is social media and digital media, but I'm interested in other aspects, i...